Apparel manufacturers, home sewers and other clothing makers typically make garments based on patterns. The pattern determines the size and shape of the garment. It is common for the clothing makers to refer to a pattern book to select their patterns. Each pattern in the book corresponds to a particular type of garment and a particular range of body measurements. Knowing the wearer's garment preference and body measurements, the clothing maker can select one of the patterns.
One disadvantage with this process is that it can exclude a significant degree of a person's uniqueness. For example, some people have hour glass-shaped torsos or rectangular-shaped torsos, while others have upwardly pointing triangular-shaped torsos or downwardly pointed triangular-shaped torsos. The range-based pattern selection process can exclude these unique factors from the garment design process.
To provide a better fit, garment makers sometimes manually alter the patterns. Other times, the wearers have their garments tailored to obtain a better fit. The process of altering patterns and obtaining tailoring services can be inconvenient, time consuming and relatively expensive. Consequently, many people skip these steps and choose to wear clothes with a fit that is inadequate or is only moderately complimentary to their unique shapes and sizes.
There is a need to overcome the disadvantages described above. There is also a need to provide improvements applicable to pattern-based design activities.